Healthy Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Salted Maple Frosting Recipe

I whipped up Soft Pumpkin Cookies that are gluten free, grain free, easily dairy free and topped with a salted maple frosting so addictive you won’t believe they’re healthy.

I’m obsessed with these soft pumpkin cookies because they actually taste like pumpkin pie without the guilt. I love that they’re Healthy Pumpkin Cookies Easy and still melt in your mouth.

The salted maple frosting is ridiculous, sticky and way too good. I use 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) and 2 cups blanched almond flour, lightly packed so they’re grain free and pillowy.

But they’re not fussy. Goopy frosting, flaky sea salt on top.

Makes me want one for breakfast, lunch, dessert. Don’t judge.

Eat the whole batch. I will hide them and deny everything forever.

Ingredients

• Blanched almond flour, nutty low-carb base that keeps cookies soft.
• Baking soda, helps cookies puff a bit.
• Baking powder, gentle lift, less dense texture.
• Ground cinnamon, warm, cozy spice classic.
• Ground ginger, mild spicy kick underneath.
• Ground nutmeg, tiny earthy warmth, pumpkin-friendly.
• Fine sea salt, brightens sweetness and balances.
• Pumpkin puree, moist, fiber-rich pumpkin flavor.
• Eggs, binders that add protein and structure.
• Pure maple syrup, natural sweetener with maple notes.
• Melted coconut oil or butter, tender, rich mouthfeel.
• Vanilla extract, rounds flavors and adds warmth.
• Optional tapioca or arrowroot, basically firms texture slightly.
• Cream cheese, tangy creamy frosting backbone.
• Unsalted butter, silky richness in the frosting.
• More maple syrup, sweetens frosting with real maple.
• Powdered sugar, thickens and sweetens to spreadable.
• Vanilla in frosting, subtle rounding flavor.
• Flaky sea salt, crunchy contrast on top.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 cups blanched almond flour, lightly packed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or arrowroot for slightly firmer texture

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (use dairy free cream cheese to make dairy free)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (or dairy free butter)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, to taste
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, adjust for sweetness and thickness
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a bowl whisk together 2 cups blanched almond flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (and if using, stir in 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or arrowroot).

3. In a separate bowl mix 1 cup pumpkin puree, 2 large room temp eggs, 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or melted unsalted butter (cooled a bit) and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.

4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined; the batter will be thick and slightly sticky, thats okay.

5. Scoop tablespoon-sized portions (or use a small cookie scoop) onto the prepared sheet about 2 inches apart, then gently flatten each mound with the back of a spoon or your fingers to form rounds.

6. For thicker, less spread cookies chill the shaped dough on the tray for 15 to 20 minutes before baking; otherwise bake right away.

7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are set and tops spring back lightly; avoid overbaking so they stay soft. Let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. While cookies cool, make the salted maple frosting: beat 8 ounces softened cream cheese and 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter (or dairy free swaps) until smooth. Add 1/2 to 1/3 cup pure maple syrup to taste, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, then slowly add 1 to 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar until you reach desired sweetness and pipeable thickness.

9. Spread or pipe frosting onto cooled cookies, then finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Store in fridge in an airtight container up to 4 days, or freeze unfrosted cookies for longer.

Equipment Needed

1. Rimmed baking sheet
2. Parchment paper
3. Large mixing bowls (2)
4. Measuring cups and spoons
5. Whisk and rubber spatula
6. Hand mixer or stand mixer (for frosting)
7. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop
8. Cooling rack
9. Small bowl or tray (for chilling shaped dough)

FAQ

Healthy Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Salted Maple Frosting Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Almond flour: can swap with 1) blanched oat flour, use same volume but press dough slightly wetter since oats absorb less; or 2) finely ground blanched almonds, 1:1; or 3) coconut flour, but use only 1/3 to 1/2 cup per 2 cups almond flour and add an extra egg or tablespoon water because coconut flour soaks up a lot.
• Eggs: replace each egg with a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 min) for binding and slight chew; or use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce per egg for more moisture but the cookies will be a bit softer.
• Pumpkin puree: you can use canned sweet potato or canned butternut squash puree cup for cup, same moisture and flavor profile; if fresh, cook and mash well and drain a little if it’s very watery.
• Cream cheese (for frosting): swap with equal amount of softened dairy free cream cheese or homemade cashew cream (soak 1 cup cashews, blitz with 2-3 tbsp water + 1 tsp lemon until silky); if using cashew cream you might need a touch more powdered sugar to get frosting stiff enough.

Pro Tips

1. Chill the shaped dough 15 to 20 minutes if you want thicker, cakier cookies. If you skip chilling they’ll spread more, which can be fine, but dont expect the same texture. Cold dough holds almond flour cookies together better.

2. Measure the almond flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, dont pack it down. Almond flour compresses easily and too much will make the cookies dense and dry. If the batter seems super thick, a tablespoon or two of milk or extra pumpkin will loosen it without wrecking the cookies.

3. Use room temp eggs and room temp cream cheese for the smoothest batter and frosting. Cold eggs can make the batter lumpy and cold cream cheese gives you a gritty, seedy frosting that wont pipe well.

4. Start with the lower amount of maple syrup in the frosting and add more to taste. Maple varies in intensity, and too much will make the frosting runny. If it gets too thin, chill it briefly to firm up or add a couple tablespoons more powdered sugar.

5. Watch the bake time closely and err on underbaking by 30 seconds rather than overbaking. Almond flour cookies dry out fast. Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes so they set, then move to a rack to finish cooling before frosting; frosting warm cookies will melt and get greasy.